Her entire body felt pierced by needles, every drop of blood carried pain, and every pore was consuming his life. Every breath exhaled seemed to be blowing out the flame of life.
Her abdomen was burning, yet countless cold winds seemed to pass through it—a blend of hot and cold, like torture.
Cold, trembling, her sole remaining eye saw her bloodless fingers turning purple.
"Ugh…"
It hurts so much.
Moving a single finger would strain her pain nerves. Her muscles were cramping, her limbs stiff, like a corpse wriggling on the ground.
"Pfft." She spat out a mouthful of blood with a heavy metallic smell onto the ground, which instantly froze into a blooming flower of blood as it scattered.
The fallen beret caught blood and froze to her hair, her messy strands matted together.
Anna's arm trembled. Looking at the increasing amount of bloody ice crystals beneath her, she bit her lip and laboriously raised her head.
"Hi… na…"
Upon hearing her voice, the Fifth Herrscher, who was planning to leave, realized she wasn't dead. She raised her hand, preparing to instantly freeze Anna into ice fragments.
"Hina…" Anna coughed up blood clots, shaking her head slightly, "What… what happened to you…"
Hearing this, the Fifth Herrscher actually paused. Her icy-blue pupils stared at Anna, who was clinging to life, and her lips, like thin ice, whispered, "Anna."
"Hina… do you still remember me…" Anna saw that the Fifth Herrscher could say her name. Even though the pain from her wound was almost making her faint, she strained to reach out to the Fifth Herrscher hovering mid-air.
Thank goodness, Hina still has her mind. She must be able to change back… The uncle must have a way to turn Hina back.
"Anna." The Fifth Herrscher smiled, then spoke the name once more.
It can't be wrong. That's Hina's smile. How could such a warm smile belong to a monster who kills without batting an eye…
How could it be…
Anna's expression froze when she looked into the Fifth Herrscher's eyes.
The past gentleness was replaced by blue indifference, devoid of any discernible "human" element.
Her smile, at this moment, seemed like merely a programmatic reaction.
Anna watched helplessly as the Fifth Herrscher raised her hand again. Then, while maintaining a benevolent smile, she waved her hand, and a row of ice prisms appeared in front of her, aimed at the dying girl.
Anna closed her eyes in despair. Tears fell from the corners of her eyes, shattering into ice flowers on the ground.
'Their birth is a devastating blow to human society.'
She suddenly opened her eyes, glaring intensely at the Fifth Herrscher.
No… Anna… no, if the Herrscher kills me here, the city exit is right behind me! The shelter is in that direction. I can't let the Herrscher get out!
"OH AHHH!!!" Anna used all her strength to roar and prop herself up, looking straight at the coldly glittering ice prisms.
The Fifth Herrscher pointed lightly, and a total of ten or more ice prisms shot toward Anna—"Swoosh!"
Anna struggled to roll to the side, dodging most of the attacks, but an ice spike still pierced her left leg. The blood solidified before much could even flow out.
I'm not dead!
Anna scrambled to her feet. Under the Fifth Herrscher's very eyes, she jumped onto the nearby car. It hadn't been turned off yet, so she immediately slammed her foot on the accelerator, driving right underneath the Fifth Herrscher's body.
The jeep sped towards the city center.
"…" The Fifth Herrscher remained where she was. She coldly watched the jeep speed away. After a few seconds, her original clothes gradually vanished, replaced by an ice-gauze-like dress on her body, and an ice crystal crown formed on her head.
After regulating her power, the Fifth Herrscher, who was initially adapting to her authority, chased after the jeep.
…
The wounds were frozen over, and she couldn't feel the pain, but Anna could feel herself growing weaker, barely able to grip the steering wheel. She could only press her chin and both hands tightly against the wheel, using both feet to press the accelerator.
She was simultaneously cold and hot. Sweat constantly beaded on her head and froze, sticking to her skin.
Glancing at the rearview mirror, she saw the Fifth Herrscher had closed the distance to less than ten meters behind her. The ground and houses she flew over were covered in a thick layer of ice. The chilling air commanded by her authority closely followed the car. Even a slight touch could freeze the tires and exhaust pipe. Thus, Anna dared not ease off the accelerator, maintaining maximum speed.
Hina…
Countless images flashed through Anna's mind. Her consciousness constantly switched between darkness and reality. She could barely see the road ahead, only flying forward relentlessly.
"Cough cough…"
It felt like she had been running on this road a long time ago.
Being chased, chased by an unseen darkness.
She would always dream of something behind her, but she dared not look back. The moment she looked back, she would be swallowed by that darkness.
Later, the darkness vanished. Hina stood in the light, smiling, opening her arms and waiting for her.
Yes, I actually walked out of that "destiny."
Later still, that man in the helmet stood sadly in the freezing rain.
Hina dragged Anna out of the darkness, and Lin ushered her into a new life.
In this past month, she had overcome her past self, the self who should have become evil. Finally…
The light in Anna's pupils faded. They reflected the orphanage where she grew up. The self who had left there was now back.
Her fingers slowly slipped from the steering wheel. She returned to the day she met Lin.
That person walked in front, and she followed behind, taking tentative steps, watching him.
Frost climbed onto the wheels. The car flipped over, and the girl fell into the orphanage, landing right in the main hall.
The ice block containing the beret was dislodged by the impact and fell to the ground.
Under the colorful stained-glass window, a smile appeared on her pure, flawless cheek. She looked up at the Fifth Herrscher, who was slowly flying toward her.
"But… if… it had been me… perhaps… it would have been better… Hina, you… wouldn't have had to… become… like this…"
Ice slowly spread from the ground toward the girl's vacant pupils.
That person will surely come, won't he?
After all, he is the one she loves.
What exactly did she love about him?
Oh, right, I remember… it was the look on his face when he saved those two people that day.
Strange… he was wearing a helmet… yet I know what expression the uncle had…
Lin was holding the two people tightly, as if saying, "I made it in time."
He was looking down the whole time, crying.
"Uncle… don't… cry… anymore…"
The transparent ice encasing the entire orphanage.
Heavy snow fell, and the white world covered everything in ice and snow, obscuring the past and the future.
No bird song could be heard.
White snow fell on the windowsill.
Melting away without a trace.